9) How is the light we see related to microwaves, radio waves and heat?

10) Give the common names for the following chemicals: H20, NaCl, C2H5OH, acetic acid.

The answers

1. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If you know what the first law is (a moving object will continue to move and a stationary object will stay still unless a force acts upon it), or even the second law (the force on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration) then award yourself an extra point for each.

2. Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, when in the atmosphere, trap heat on the Earth. This is the basis for much of the climate change we see in the world. One point for that answer. Extra points for knowing the other greenhouse gases (carbon tetrafluoride, sulphur hexafluoride, nitrous oxide, CFCs).

3. A nucleus made of protons and neutrons is orbited by electrons. The number of electrons and protons is always equal. Give yourself a bonus point if you know how atoms form molecules (they end up sharing electrons, which bond them together).

4. The current scientific thinking is that the universe began with a big bang around 13.7 billion years ago, but if you guessed a billion either side of this, award yourself the point. An extra point if you can explain where the theory came from. (Observations of how quickly distant galaxies are moving away from us tell us how fast the universe is expanding. Extrapolate backwards and you get to a state where the entire universe must, at some point in the past, have been squashed into a point with infinite density and immense temperature.)

5. The Earth formed from the cloud of dust around our then-young sun around 4.5 billion years ago. The first humans appeared around 2.5 million years ago as part of the great ape family that would eventually include gorillas and chimpanzees. Modern humans, Homo sapiens, have been around for around 100,000 years. A point for the correct date for each type of human.

6. This states that organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes to the next generation - it's commonly known as survival of the fittest. A further point if you know that information is passed through the generations using long-chain molecules called DNA. Another point if you know DNA codes build proteins for all life on Earth.

7. From the Sun out: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Next week, the International Astronomical Union, the organisation that names celestial objects, will vote on whether to extend the number of defined planets to 12. A bonus point for each of the following planet candidates that you can name: Ceres, the largest asteroid between Mars and Jupiter; Charon, the moon of Pluto; and 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena, the largest object discovered in the solar system since Neptune in 1847.

8. The mechanism plants use to convert light, carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. It is arguably the most important biochemical reaction on Earth as almost all life depends on the products. A bonus point if you can name the key chemical plants use to help in the reaction: chlorophyll.

9. Visible light is a narrow band of wavelengths (around 600 nanometres) on the electromagnetic spectrum - different colours represent different wavelengths. Go up the wavelength scale and you get infrared rays (heat), microwaves and radio waves. Go the other way and you get UV light and gamma rays. A bonus point if you know that radio waves are the lowest-energy waves whereas gamma rays are the highest.

10. Water, common salt, ethanol and vinegar. A point for each. (Maximum number of points possible: 30.)

How did you do?

Less than 10 points

Hello? Anybody home?

10 to 20 points

I could say you're just on the cusp of greatness, but who would I be kidding? Not a terrible score, but it would be pushing it to call you science-literate, and you're probably clever enough to know that you could have looked all of this up on wikipedia in about 10 minutes and saved yourself the shame ...

More than 20 points

This is more like it. Feel free to give your considered opinions on everything from climate change to nuclear power down the pub with the confidence of an officially scientifically literate person. If you got over 25, you might as well change your first name to Albert and grow some crazy white hair, you genius. But you with full marks - please get out more.